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Quick Sausage

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 21 July, 2014 1 comment

This is great for a snack, side dish or main course. My son, husband and I love sausage and often when I know he wont eat what I will be preparing for dinner, I think of other options that will be a hit and have a variety of protein and vegetables.

Ingredients:

Sausage
Mushrooms
Onion
EVOO
Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper

In a skillet, saute all ingredients until heated through and cooked.

Serve over rice as a main dish or simply serve as is for a side dish.

My silly little goose wearing the colander as a hat.

Showing off his little modeling skills

Tonight we had Mahi with rice and salad. I decided to serve the sausage as a side dish as I know my son absolutely loves it.

My sweet little baby enjoying dinner with Leo the Lion.

We all love to eat dinner and hang out on our patio….boo hoo for when summer decides to leave us! :(

The Best Potato Salad

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 20 July, 2014 No comment

This recipe is very simple for potato salad and is rich in flavor leaving your mouth watering for more.

My husband and his step dad embarked on my cooking yet again. Tonight’s menu: Barbecued Chicken with potato salad and fresh grilled garlic green beans.

I’ve actually never made potato salad as my mom makes the best and I typically don’t crave such food because it can often be too rich, too mushy, too mustardy (if that’s even a word). I’ve had store bought to potluck potato salad and never really desire it because it never is “right.” Well, today I decided to make it for the first time as I have been craving this for some odd reason and to my surprise I love the flavors.

If you are so-so with potato salad, this recipe is a must try.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Russet potatoes
1 lb red potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise (NO miracle whip and no light mayo)
½ cup ranch dressing
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 baby dill pickles, finely chopped
2 hardboiled eggs, grated
¼ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp garlic salt

In a large pot, add diced potatoes and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. (Do not over cook as you don’t want your salad to be mushy) Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large glass bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch, celery salt and garlic salt. Add to potatoes and stir well.

Place potatoes in a glass bowl and add chopped celery.

Add finely chopped pickles.

And grate the eggs directly into potatoes.

Give the salad a good stir. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Serve with BBQ Chicken and grilled beans and corn.

So delicious!

Wardrobe Update

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 19 July, 2014 No comment

From exciting to dull… I have been going through my closet on a ‘what not to wear’ basis. My husband had mentioned that I have so many clothes and don’t wear half of them. Emphasizing the “so many clothes” part, as my husband is a true man with style but does NOT understand a woman and their deep obsession with clothing.

If you have yet to read the initial post about my wardrobe, click here.

So it all began 39 days ago. I have been going 39 days strong…until last weekend where I began contemplating tossing the remainder of my clothes because I simply don’t care for them. “Are they in style” “Do they still fit me” “I don’t like the way this shirt lays” “This one has the wrong color swatch for the days mood” so on and so forth. I could make every excuse in the book and then some. I truly did not like anything in hanging in there. So, I decided it was time to go for a swim and avoid the topic all together. Okay, so maybe I didn’t actually go swimming, but that was a good thought that may take place next time I have this same conversation with myself while looking at my rugged old wardrobe.

Thanks to theartofsimple.net

So, as promised, I took the vow to wear all of my shirts (weather appropriate) before wearing a top for the second time. If I do not wear it, I will toss it. I’ve only tossed two thus far and have donated two with tags still on to my mom and sister. I enjoyed my outfit today and have thought to myself many times throughout the past 39 days, why I haven’t worn a few shirts more often. Eh, my husband may be right…

The truth hurts my friends. Going through your closet can be refreshing and some shirts are very exciting to wear again. My husband was right, I have many shirts that I barely wear, and all for no good reason.

I will update once I reach the end of the line in the closet and let you all know whether I tossed them, wore them or gave in and quit this dumb ol’ bet.

Corn Dogs

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 18 July, 2014 No comment

Easy-peasy yummy and easy. Who doesn’t love a corn dog, I know I would eat them all the time if they were as healthy as the blueberries we grow.

Anyway, this recipe developed through a long time pondering what to make for our annual movies in the park picnic. All week long I had thought and contemplated what delicious picnic to pack. It was opening night for movies in our neighborhood park this past weekend and my conclusion ended with these delicious homemade corn dogs.

With a busy day watching a girlfriends two kids and my son getting pictures all in the same afternoon, I was hoping to conquer my desire to make these corn dogs as well unsure how long it would actually take. Preparing early in the morning was my best friend. This enabled a helpful evening of simply frying them during Cooper’s nap so when we returned home, dinner would be DONE!

Waking my son up from a nap led me to believe pictures would be a challenge let alone, a long evening with a late bedtime. To my surprise, my little bundle exceed expectations and we returned home by 9:30 with a very happy baby. I love nights where my son is uber-snuggly and interacting with me on a level I didn’t realize he was old enough for. It was precious to play with his super-duper sweet attitude while we also laid on the blanket looking up at the sky. The trees that billowed out above us and a pink sky surpassing the quiet trees was absolutely astonishing. His little mind taking in the essence of a “pink” sunset was adorable. So much so we even talked about it the following morning.

We played on the blanket with toys and even played in the water feature the beautiful park holds. We left when the movie got going as my son wasn’t there for a quiet evening but rather, an active, loud adventure. We enjoyed our corn dog picnic and couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk

Hot Dog Prep:

1/3 cup flour
8-10 hot dogs
3 cups Vegetable Oil
4-5 wooden skewers, cut in half

Mix together all the dry ingredients for the batter into a small bowl or measuring cup and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix together egg and milk.

Add in dry ingredients. Place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan, add your oil and heat on low heat. I use this pan specifically for frying only. It’s become that pan.

While the oil is heating, prep your hot dogs….

Cut skewers in half and slide hot dog onto skewer.

On a small plate with flour, coat your hot dog. This helps the cornmeal stick to the dog.

After cornmeal has been refrigerated, dip the dog into the batter. This will take some manuvering to get the batter to stick. I basically dump the batter on top. Let it rest, than flip the dog and do the same on the other side.

Quickly transfer dog to oil and slightly turn up the heat.

Use tongs to help hold the batter close to the hot dog.

After the batter begins to cook, flip the hot dog with tongs to keep from burning yourself with the oil.

Once fully cooled, place on a foil lined baking pan to catch the oil.

Serve with a delicious honey mustard or spicy mustard. Mmmm so good!

Adapted from Carlsbadcravings.com

The Ultimate Breakfast Wrap

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 17 July, 2014 No comment

Happy breakfast time. I made these this past weekend and was overjoyed with the outcome. These suckers are amazing and has all the best ingredients a breakfast could hold.

This breakfast wrap is no typical breakfast wrap. It contains hash-brown links layered within your ooey gooey eggs and sausage! I love hash-browns and decided to combine all my favorite breakfast ingredients together into one perfect breakfast wrap.

Let me tell you….it was incredible and mess free and made my tummy very happy.

Ingredients:

Scrambled Eggs
2-4 hash browns
Cheese
Sausage
2-4 tortillas
Hot Sauce (optional)

In a fry pan, place your hash browns on medium heat to begin browning.

In a separate skillet, cook your scrambled eggs and add cheese.

On a heated tortilla, layer your cooked hash brown

And add sausage and eggs.

Add hot sauce if you so desire and roll up your tortilla into a burrito.

These suckers are deliciously filling and incredible. A mouthful of complete goodness. :)

Fruity Smoothie

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 16 July, 2014 No comment

I was at the grocery store yesterday and the clerk asked me if I was enjoying summer. I looked at Cooper and with a big smile I said yes. My little man has made this summer incredible. Spending time traveling as a family, park dates, family pool time and just hanging out has been all I could ask for.

The lady behind me spoke up and said “this heat is a killer though!” As I agreed, I also explained that we can’t seem to be happy here in Oregon with it’s extreme weather changes. If we all had AC, there would be no question about it. She nodded and said she it glad she lives here but definitely wishes the weather to be mid 70’s-80’s so people would stop complaining.

I thought it was funny as we can’t ever seem to be happy. Either it rains or it scorches. I love the sun, so I am not too worried about it and our house stays really cool. :) I’m thankful for beautiful weather and a beautiful backyard to enjoy it in.

So since summer is here and will be over before we know it, take time to enjoy the sun and relax with your family while doing something exciting. And don’t forget to drink a protein packed smoothie full of vitamins and nutrients your body is craving in this hot heat.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed fruit; mango, pineapple, guava
1 apple
2 bananas
1 spoonful protein powder (almond butter is a great substitute)
3/4 cup orange juice
1 cup coconut milk

Compile all ingredients into a blender and ENJOY!!!!

These hot weathered days must enjoy a healthy snack.

Best Scrambled Eggs To Date

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 15 July, 2014 2 comments

Scrambled eggs can be manipulated in one too many ways. It kind of grosses me out. While we were in Bend, OR a couple weeks ago, the hotel we stayed at had breakfast. Mind you, their breakfast was actually really good and filled with multiple options to choose from. Apart from the usual mass produced plastic tasting scrambled eggs, I thoroughly enjoyed everything else. I find anytime you travel, the scrambled eggs are a “must RUN” dish. Don’t touch, don’t eat, don’t even try! They always let you down.

Isn’t it crazy how scrambling eggs can bring out the best and the worst of an egg? I’ve found that it is almost too easy to make them different each time. My husband is the type who likes to constantly stir the egg and mash it into the smallest pieces known to man. He loves to stir those puppies and stir and stir. I found that over stirring will keep Cooper from touching the egg. :) I will give my husband the benefit of the doubt and say, I do make eggs every day for Cooper, so he’s just used to my chunky, cheesy, ooey goodness of an egg. ;)

I will give all the credit to my mama who taught me many tips and tricks in the kitchen. She is a fabulous cook and always had the best eggs growing up and I’ve now brought them to my abode. The key to our scrambled eggs is not, I repeat, NOT to over stir.

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp butter
8-10 eggs (serves 5-6 people)
3 tbsp cream cheese
1- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
(Patience) :)

In a medium size skillet greased with 2-3 tbsp butter, crack your eggs over med-low heat. Let them sit until they look like this. (break the yoke)

Using a spatula light scrap the bottom of the pan to “stir” them. Leave in large chunks.

Add in chunks of cream cheese and shredded cheese. (This pictures shows sliced cheese)

Give it one last stir. If you feel it needs to cook through a little longer, give it a couple good stirs without chopping your eggs into tiny pieces. :)

Serve with toast and sausage or in a breakfast sandwich.

I found great pleasure when the little gal I nannied for said she HATED eggs but once she took a bite of mine she proudly stood and said “these are the best eggs in the WHOOOOLLLLEEE world.” I was very honored that a 5 year old would be so complimentary towards my eggs that were previously looked down upon. She enjoyed them so much she asked for my scrambled eggs for her birthday breakfast. Needless to say, her mom “took a lesson” on scrambling eggs. :)

Shrimp & Mushroom Cream Sauce

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 14 July, 2014 No comment

WHATS FOR DINNER TONIGHT??? Shrimp and mushrooms in a tomato bisque cream sauce. Oh-My-Goodness!!!!

This 30 minute meal is filled with sweet, spicy and everything nice. It’s beyond incredible that I can’t even begin to explain the awesomeness of this recipe. Something about the slightly tender mushrooms, perfect shrimp and the flavors of the sauce combined gives this dish something to rant and rave about.

This is in my favorites section as I personally rate this meal a 5 star! No words can describe this meal until tasted on your lips.

Ingredients:

1 onion
1 tbsp sugar
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 palm-full fresh basil, chopped
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup cream cheese
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
Rice or Pasta

Chop onions and begin to cook on med-low heat with 1 tsp sugar and EVOO to start caramelize the onions.

Once onions begin to cook and start to caramelize, add in mushrooms, minced garlic, tomatoes and basil.

Once mushrooms are tender, add in raw shrimp and turn heat to low. Allow the shrimp to cook slowly until fully pink.

Turn off heat and add in sour cream and cream cheese.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sriracha sauce. Pour into skillet.

Give it a good stir.

Serve over rice….

Or pasta.

This meal has by far the best flavor known to man! :) It’s so scrumptious. I literally can’t get enough of this meal!

4th of July Extravaganza

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 13 July, 2014 No comment

This past weekend we went to Bend, OR as a family to get away and relax in the beautiful weather and scenery surrounded by four beautiful mountains. We had a great time full of fireworks, swimming, walking, river, Mt Bachelor, petting zoo, bouncy houses and watermelon eating contests. It was incredible.

Our little man did very well without naps and later bedtimes. I never worried about this previously, I was a very relaxed mother when it came to bedtime as I knew my son was a great sleeper. But now that he’s older and has been having some health issues, I tend to be very “by the book” so to speak; our book that is. I was a bit apprehensive over his lack of sleep and the high heated weather, that for sure he would come down with a fever. To my surprise and with great joy, he didn’t.

This was our beautiful drive!

Redmond hosts a large kids activity center at the fairgrounds each year on the fourth of July. It was free admission, free activities and most of all…free watermelon that was homegrown. This watermelon was probably the best watermelon to date. It tasted as if it was freshly picked and cut on the spot. It was so good my husband even ate it and he hates watermelon.

(High hopes that my watermelon grows to be that tasty)

So DELICIOUS!

They had a brand new Semi-truck out on display. They let Cooper climb inside and play with all the gadgets. He was beside himself. So cute!

He played in a bouncy house and had no fear. Sweet baby!!!

Jumping and jumping. Finally we had to have the volunteer go in and pull him out because he was having so much fun, he did not want to leave.

The petting zoo. Pygmy goats and llamas.

One of the many water features for him to play in…

This fairgrounds had the best kid activities especially for a fourth of July weekend. It was a small town feel. Very friendly and very focused on kids. It was great! :)

After our extravaganza we went to dinner at a local pizza joint and Cooper was beyond wild from lack of sleep and excitement. He wanted to play in the arcade area for-ev-er!

After dinner we walked across the street and got the little popper snap fireworks that go off when you throw them. Cooper was hilarious and kept asking for another one. Michael would throw them super close to Coop’s feet and he would laugh and jump all over. Me on the other hand….well I wasn’t that excited because last year Michael threw one at my leg and ruined my white capris. I hole burned right on through. So this year, I was very clear to keep them away from me. :)

Stomping on the little buggers

“One more!”

Completely unafraid…

Throwing fistfuls at a time

This is our firework show: Perched by the window watching the show take place at 10 pm while Cooper slept soundly by our side.

Getting ready…

The following day we drove 25 minutes to Mt Bachelor. So close and Cooper loved it. Great change in scenery as he’s our little outdoor baby.

What a beautiful drive.

Later we enjoyed a walk along the river through the middle of Bend. Cooper really hoped for a kayak ride.

He loves putting his toes in the sand and the water.

Later that evening we went back to the river and took take out for dinner. Cooper was so excited as usual, that feeding him always becomes an issue. He is so ecstatic that food seems extremely unimportant to my little man.

Daddy trying to bribe the kid with food…

Stopping for a brief moment to take a sip of milk….and off running again

Family Photo

The following morning we headed for our much needed iced coffee and found a playful area with a coffee stand together. Cooper was so happy to play in the water and play with his trucks along the ledge. We hung out for a couple hours and let Coop get wiggles out before beginning our long trek home.

We talked….

Cooper played!

Goodbye Bend! Hope to see you soon!

We had such a good time! It was relaxing and beautiful! Is it time to go back yet….?

Chicken Avocado Spring Rolls

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 12 July, 2014 No comment

Vietnamese rice paper rolls are healthy and oh so delicious. They will forever remind me of visiting my sister when she worked in the seminary building at Multnomah University. I used to go visit her all the time and we would go get these Rice Paper Wraps for lunch dates and we absolutely loved them. The great thing with Vietnamese food is it also fills you up. Long gone are the days of visiting my sister at work but new are the days for lunch dates with homemade Chicken avocado spring rolls. :)

Ingredients:

Rice Paper
Chicken, shredded
Rice, cooked
Avocado
Carrots
Cucumbers
Fresh Basil
Lettuce
Soy, teriyaki or sweet chili sauce

Fully submerge rice paper in lukewarm water for a good 30 seconds or until soft, sticky and pliable. Using a plate works just great. Transfer to a dry surface.